OSU-Michigan ticket prices soaring

MATT COLAHAN IS BUSIER THAN NORMAL THIS WEEK. MUCH BUSIER. HE’S THE MANAGER OF TICKETS GALORE IN DUBLIN, A BROKER THAT SPECIALIZES IN THE RESALE OF OHIO STATE FOOTBALL TICKETS. HE SAYS THE SUCCESS OF BOTH OSU AND MICHIGAN THIS YEAR HAS MADE THE DEMAND FOR TICKETS GREATER THAN HE’S SEEN IN HIS FIFTEEN YEARS AT THE BUSINESS. BUT HE SAYS THE PRICE OF AN AVERAGE TICKET IS LOWER THAN YOU MIGHT THINK.

“PRICES HAVE BEEN COMING DOWN OVER THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS BECAUSE THERE’S NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE SPENDING $1,000 A TICKET THE WAY SOME OF THE NEWS (HAS REPORTED), COLAHAN SAYS. THEY ARE HIGH, BUT NOT EXACTLY WHAT SOME PEOPLE ARE THINKING.”

COLAHAN SAYS THE AVERAGE PRICE HE’S CHARGING FOR A SINGLE TICKET IS ABOUT SIX-HUNDRED DOLLARS. A SEARCH OF THE WEB SITE EBAY SHOWS TICKET HOLDERS ASKING AS MUCH AS TWENTY-THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR A PAIR OF TICKETS. COLAHAN SAYS TICKETS WILL NEVER SELL FOR THAT MUCH, NO MATTER WHAT THE EVENT.

“THE PROBLEM IS PEOPLE SEE THAT, AND THEY THINK THAT’S ‘THE MARKET’, THAT TICKETS ARE GOING FOR THAT,” COLAHAN SAYS. “THAT’S RIDICULOUS. THAT’S NOT THE CASE.”

ON THE OHIO STATE CAMPUS STUDENTS ARE SPLIT ON THE ISSUE OF SCALPING THEIR TICKETS. JUNIOR ALLIX DEGRAFF SAYS A FRIEND OFFERED TO PAY HER SEVENTEEN-HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR HER UPPER DECK TICKET, BUT SHE REFUSED.

“I WAS OFFERED $1,700, BUT THAT WASN’T ENOUGH,. NOT FOR THIS GAME,” DEGRAFF SAYS. “I THINK I COULD REALLY JUSTIFY IT TO MYSELF IF I HAD MORE MONEY THAN THAT FOR THE TICKET, AND IT JUST DIDN’T HAPPEN.”

BUT JUNIOR TODD HANLEY SAYS HE DOES NOT HAVE A PROBLEM WITH STUDENTS SELLING TICKETS TO PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO PAY TOP DOLLAR.

“I CAME DOWN HERE BEFORE THE (BIG TEN) SEASON STARTED AND SCALPED TWO TICKETS,” HANLEY SAYS. “IF YOU HAVE THE TICKET AND YOU HAVE THE MONEY I DON’T THINK IT’S A BIG DEAL. THE GAME IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST COLLEGE GAMES EVER, AND IF PEOPLE HAVE THE MONEY LET THEM.”

THERE IS NO UNIVERSITY POLICY PROHIBITING STUDENTS OR STAFF FROM SELLING THEIR TICKETS. BUT OSU DIRECTOR OF TICKETING BILL JONES SAYS THE PRACTICE GOES AGAINST THE SPIRIT OF THE UNIVERSITY.

“WE WISH EVERY STUDENT WHO PURCHASED TICKETS FOR THE GAME WOULD BE IN ATTENDANCE, BUT WE CAN’T CONTROL WHAT THEY DO WITH THEIR TICKETS.”

IT IS ONLY ILLEGAL FOR PEOPLE TO SELL TICKETS AT OHIO STADIUM. AS FOR THE REST OF THIS WEEK WEEK, COLAHAN SAYS HE EXPECTS TICKET PRICES TO STAY ABOUT THE SAME FOR THE NEXT TWO TO THREE DAYS, THEN DECREASE SLIGHTLY IN THE HOURS BEFORE KICKOFF.